The commission visited the hospital on Thursday to investigate whether those deaths could have been prevented.

In its preliminary report, the commission says the hospital violated the right of access to healthcare.

The commission’s Buang Jones says: “We have decided to commence with the subpoena process to subpoena the MEC of Health in Gauteng and the head of the department professor [Mkhululi] Lukhele. We’d like to find out from them what are they going to do with the lamentable state of hospitals in Gauteng.”